Burger Beast's Hamburger House Party Is Friday: Here Are the Burgers You'll Be Eating

May is National Hamburger Month, a celebration of the meatiest of sandwiches. According to What's Cooking America, Genghis Khan might have indulged in the first burger — a sandwich made with raw ground beef whose portability was perfect for his soldiers to eat while in the saddle.

After all of these centuries, the burger has found a home in the USA. In fact, this sandwich is synonymous with everything Americans love — picnics, barbecues, and good times. Miami, especially, has embraced the burger, thanks in large part to Burger Beast's Sef Gonzalez. The blogger and burger maven has shared his love of the burger for several years and is even planning a museum dedicated to this classic dish, along with other comfort foods.

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Gonzalez is also planning the ultimate burger event — the Hamburger House Party. This Friday, May 6, the heady smell of grilled beef will waft through Magic City Casino from 7 to 10 p.m., when 19 of South Florida's top burger restaurants (and one from Bonita Springs) will offer their best.

Gonzalez says he chose the burgers and restaurants over several months, making notes of items he especially wanted at the event. He also looked at the location of the restaurants, making sure to have eateries that represent different neighborhoods. "You can see the restaurants are spaced out throughout South Florida." Then the burger expert hoped the event would work with each restaurant's schedule. "You write a list and hope everyone can make it."

Brave burger fans can sample all 20 burgers and vote for the one they like best. In addition, a panel of judges including South Beach Wine & Food Festival founder Lee Schrager, Blue Collar's Danny Serfer, Que Riko con Kiko's Kiko Suarez, Rebel House chef Mike Saperstein, and I will choose a judge's best burger, with the winning restaurant competing in the 2017 South Beach Wine & Food Festival's Burger Bash.

The evening will also boast live music from Retro Sky and DJ Volksmusik — both playing '80s music. In addition, guests are encouraged to don their best '80s garb.

Each restaurant has gone out of its way to create completely over-the-top entries, utilizing everything from bacon to mofongo. Here are the burgers in the lineup:

Tickets for this 21-and-over event cost $45 and include unlimited sampling of all 20 burgers, along with desserts and cocktail sampling from Jim Bean and Tito's Vodka, soft drinks, and water. Purchase tickets at hamburgerhouseparty.com.

Laine Doss is the food and spirits editor for Miami New Times, has been featured on Cooking Channel's Eat Street and Food Network's Great Food Truck Race. She won an Alternative Weekly award for her feature about what it's like to wait tables.